Liverpool laboured to a 3-1 away defeat to Brentford on Monday night and their hopes for a top-four finish look to be in jeopardy. Many observers have suggested the Reds need to strengthen in midfield in January or risk their season unravelling. Goal.com’s Neil Jones responded to Jürgen Klopp’s comments that Liverpool cannot ‘play Monopoly’ in the transfer window by suggesting his side can ‘kiss goodbye to the top four’ without midfield reinforcements.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight Show, we asked Neil for his thoughts on the likelihood of Liverpool bringing in a midfielder in the January transfer window.
Neil said:
“If Liverpool’s idea is Matheus Nunes and Jude Bellingham (and we know what the fee will be with Matheus Nunes) you can’t get him anyway in January, so why would you get someone for the same kind of money, when that’s the player you want? That’s the player you’ve identified, and you want Jude Bellingham in the summer but you’ve taken 50 million or however much money, you’ve taken that and you’re going to have find that. Liverpool, as we know, don’t have many saleable assets. Those players aren’t really there at the club. I think that tells you why maybe ‘not now’. I can see an opportunistic signing, a ‘six months left on the deal’, maybe one that doesn’t get anyone’s pulse racing. A better Arthur Melo, if you want to call it that! I’m loath to be the one who says it even, though it’s been said to journalists and to people – I wouldn’t get your hopes up about a midfielder. We’ll see – history tells you in the last two windows in particular that Liverpool are not averse to changing their plans mid-window.”
Redmen Reacts
Jürgen Klopp is a serial gambler when it comes to Liverpool’s transfer dealings. These gambles usually pay off, for instance, the Reds started the 2016/17 season with Alberto Moreno as their only left-back, despite the Spaniard showing vulnerability throughout his tenure at Anfield. Mr. Dependable James Milner came in and performed well in the role, and the side eventually qualified for the Champions League. Klopp has shown belief and faith in his players and prefers to look for a solution from within the squad. If the club are preparing to launch a massive bid for Jude Bellingham in the summer, and with a decent fee already spent on Cody Gakpo, there may not be a massive amount left in the transfer kitty. The manager has tried to cool suggestions that the club will go back into the market, although they were not expected to last year and acted quickly in signing Luis Díaz.
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